On Being Parents
by Kamenashi-JaeJoong
Summary: Rensemee is sick. Edward and Bella find out being parents isn't always easy. I do not own Twilight or its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.


"Bella," he whispered gently against my skin. "Come here, love."

I turned to face him, wanting to tell him that I wanted to be left alone, but as soon as I saw his eyes, I couldn't remember my words. Through the perfected guise of neutrality I saw the anxiousness in his eyes and the way his mouth turned minisculey down in worry. I gave him what smile I could, and turned to him; as he folded his legs under him he gently brought me with him, letting me sit in the cave of his legs.

"She's going to be fine." He whispered in my ear.

"How do you know?" I whispered back, so afraid I would wake her.

"Because you're her mother. She's strong and stubborn, just like you." He nuzzled my neck and sighed. "And Carlisle has said she looks like any child who gets sick."

I buried deep into his embrace happy at least that I couldn't cry. "I'm worried for her, Edward."

"I know, sweetheart." He murmured, gently running his fingers through my hair, wrapping his arms tighter around me. "The more you worry, the more silly you'll feel when she wakes up just fine."

"Where could this sickness have come from?" I worried. "Could she have gotten it when she went swimming?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't think so. It is flu season."

"But do vampires get sick? Even half?" I turned back to her bed, hearing her little heart beat even faster, listening to her breath turn hollow.

"You must be hungry." He said, bringing my face so he could look at me, touching the circles under my eyes. "You've been by her side all day and night. Go out for a few hours. Nothing," he inturrupted me, "will have changed. I will be right here when you leave and right here when you return." He kissed my forehead and whispered against my skin, "Go, love. Please." He lifted my face only inches apart from his own and pleaded, "For me?"

He cheated. He knew I couldn't ignore that voice or the way his eyes were beseechingly gold in the dying light. We held a staring match for a short moment before I sighed and unraveled from his lap. Before I left, he took my hand and kissed my knuckles. "I love you."

"I know," I muttered, leaving the room as quickly as I could. I had no right to be the tiniest bit angry at him, but I couldn't take how calm he sounded as my baby was sick and I didn't know what was wrong with her. Was he not at all upset by this? Did he know something I didn't?

My anger grew as I entered the unsuspecting forest and then suddenly, it was like I didn't care anymore. My mind was blank except for the sudden stillness in the forest; the halt that knew I was here. I crouched, tested the air, and vaulted, landing straight on top of the deer, sinking my teeth into his skin, feeling the delicious tear and the slick, hot blood; but draining him wasn't enough. The heavy burden in my stomach wasn't sated with just his blood; there had to be something, anything, that could sate me.

I grabbed a tree and hauled myself up, scarmbling to the top and searching. Deer were plentiful here, but I didn't want them. I didn't want the same meal, I wanted something that would fight me.

Something rustled in the trees not far from me; zoning in, I saw the mountain lion. How cliche.

Silently, I dropped and waited, searching her to be in perfect health and deeply satisfied to see she was. When I took a step, her head swiveled to meet me, her eyes locking me in place. Her eyes gave me a sense of de ja vu, making me wonder if I should have chosen another prey for my satisfaction.

She bared her teeth at me, a challenge which I happily replied. Her eyes flashed and she took a menacing step towards me, her claws extended, her teeth bared. The forest was quiet, unnaturally quiet, as if the forest was waiting for the outcome of the winner.

She was the first to move, pouncing, tackling me to the floor. Her attacks felt like nothing, her claws didn't tear and her teeth didn't penetrate. Damn if I couldn't even find a frustrating target in a mountain lion. I rolled her over, pinning her as she struggled, swiping her paws across my arms, something that should have sliced them in half, but they held firm at the feathered encounters.

For once, not like myself, never like myself, I grew tired and didn't care what happened to this animal. I only cared for what I would have, the burning sensations in my throat to be out and a full stomach. Nothing more, nothing less.

I let her go long enough to grab her from behind, sternly wrapping my arms around her shoulder blades, holding her neck in place. I saw the throbbing pulse of her blood. I smelled the metallic of her blood. I felt her struggled beneath my hands and when I tightened, I heard something creaking of her bones under the pressure.

Just as I bit into her, my teeth sinking past the coarse fur into the thick, hot, pulsing blood, she gave a terrible shriek, one that was not of physical pain. The sound was terrible, almost heartbreaking to me. I lifted my head, feeling how her blood splashed against my jaw, and tuned my eyes to the underbrush she stared into. Under, a pair of eyes stared, unblinking, at the scene, its nose twitching at the air. The mountain lion snarled, but the thing paid no mind. It came out from the underbrush and took a stance, squaring itself, letting out a pathetic shriek.

I couldn't do this anymore. I dropped the mountain lion and she limped quickly and with grace to her cub. With force she clutched it by the scruff of the neck in her jaw and, still dripping blood, leaped away.

And then I was running home.

I vaulted the stream and flew past the door, making sure it didn't slam, and to Renesemee's room. I braced the doorway and stopped.

Weakly, she raised her hands; Edward met her halfway and she touched his face. He smiled

gently. "Yes, Momma's home." She touched his face again. "Of course she'll tell you goodnight, sweetheart." He indicated to me and quickly brushed the blood away from my face. "Tell her goodnight, Nessie."

"Hi, Mommy." She said, weakly still. She touched my face, indicating she felt much better and I shouldn't worry.

"Of course, sweetie," I whispered to her. She touched my face again, telling me she was alright. I nodded, saying, "That's great, sweetheart, but Mommy wants you to go to sleep, alright? It will make you even better." She touched my cheek and I laughed. "Yes. Then you, me, and Daddy will go out and play." I kissed her forehead and touched her face. "I love you." I murmured to her. "And Daddy loves you. We'll be right here if you need anything." She nodded and rolled over in her daddy's arms, quickly and safely asleep.

"Will you go turned the heater on?" Edward murmured, staring gently at Renesmee. "It's going to get colder tonight." I nodded and quickly left, adjusting the heat just for Renesmee and then running back. It was at that moment that I wished I could be like my mom and only worry that it was a cold or the flu and not have to worry what was wrong with my baby.

When I rushed back to her room, Edward was still there, leaning over her and tucking her in like he did every night, humming sweetly. I watched as he kissed her forehead and stood, crossing his arms. After a moment, his stance softened, he rubbed his face, and gently pinched the bridge of his nose. Watching him, I was suddenly hit with the fact that Edward was just as worried as I was about Renesmee; He was only trying to keep me from worrying and shoulder it by himself. I sighed. As usual.

I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around him, leaning my face into his back. "Are you still upset with me?" He asked quiety.

I shook my head. "No. I wasn't really. I'm just so worried about her." He didn't bother to try to reassure me, he only slowly nodded. "I am too." He whispered, so quiet I barely caught it. "I don't know what this is either. It looks like a cold, but I wouldn't know."

"We'll take her to see Carlisle tomorrow." I said, holding him tighter. He turned in my arms and wrapped his own around me.

We stood that way for a long time, only hoping for the best as only parents could.

"Her fever did break while you were gone." He told me. "And her breathing has become almost normal."

"That's good, right?"

He nodded his head slowly. "I'm sure it is."

I glanced back at Renesmee, feeling helpless. I could easily think of my old humans ways of curing a cold, or flushing out the flu, but would they work? Would they have no effect? Or would they harm her more?

Edward pulled away enough to take my hand and led me away. "Edward?"

"We can't cure her by standing here." He answered tiredly. "As soon as she gets up, we'll take her to Carlisle again, no matter what." We paused at our bedroom. He took both my hands in his and rubbed his thumbs along my knuckles and down. "Bella, she'll be all right."

I gave him a small smile. "You even admitted you didn't know that."

He knew I called his bluff and returned my small smile as he kissed my fingers. "But we can hope for the best." He pulled me into our room and we lay on the bed, in the comfort of each other, and listened to the small world of ourselves, waiting for the morning when Nessie would vault out of bed and rush to our room to jump in bed with us, begging us to go outside and play.


End file.
